


What's in the mirror?

by SlytherinFTM



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:08:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24704344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlytherinFTM/pseuds/SlytherinFTM
Summary: This story is set in 2010, 12 years after The Battle of Hogwarts.Barrow Woodfig, a second year, has been caught out of bounds, out of hours by Argus Filch.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1.**

**The Third Floor.**

“Caught you!” shouted Argus Filch, breathlessly. The old hunchbacked caretaker was hobbling into the room. It was amazing that Filch was still working at Hogwarts considering he was a squib that got the job at least fifty years ago- there was no way that he was a day under eighty.

Barrow Woodfig did not see the warning signal of Filch; his incredibly old, red eyed cat called Mrs Norris. Every student knew that Mrs Norris had an incredible connection with her master, if anyone was misbehaving at Hogwarts, Mrs Norris would appear, disappear, then reappear between the legs of Argus Filch.

Barrow hadn’t even noticed Filch shuffling into the room, yelling directly at her. Her deep brown eyes were locked onto the grand mirror in front of her. She was pushing her right hand through her long brown hair, bringing it down her face and stroking her jaw with the tips of her fingers, using her index finger, middle finger and her thumb to press into the sides of her neck. 

“You’ve got ten seconds missy, before I come and get you myself!” said Filch, dragging his old bones further into the room, Mrs Norris gently mewing by his side. 

Barrow did not acknowledge Filch’s demands, infact, Barrow appeared to still have no idea that he was there. She could not take her eyes off of the mirror, continuing to brush her hands down her green robes and gently squeeze parts of her body. 

Filch came up behind Barrow and grabbed the back of her arm with his boney hand. Barrow finally came out of her trance and screamed as she turned to see the horrible pouchy face of Argus Filch mere inches from hers. 

“Well, well, well,” Filch smirked “little second year out of bed past hours, I’m sure the headmistress would love to hear about this.” He squeezed her arm, pulling her towards the classroom door. She could’ve easily detached his hand and made a run for it, but what was the point? Out of bed, out of hours, in a classroom on the third floor that had been unused for years. She didn’t want to add physical abuse to that list of misdemeanours because that was a one way ticket to getting her eight inch bloodwood wand (with a centaur tail core) snapped in half due to expulsion. 

Barrow looked back as she was dragged out of the classroom, staring directly into the mirror.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Argus has brought Barrow Woodfig to The Headmistresses' Office.  
> What punishment awaits her?

**CHAPTER 2.**

**The Head's Office.**

“Bengal!” Filch barked, standing in front of the Stairwell Gargoyle on the second floor. He was no longer holding Barrow, but still keeping a keen eye on her as the large ugly gargoyle jumped aside. Behind the gargoyle was a spiral stone staircase that rose upwards. 

“Come now missy” he leered, putting his arm out so that she ascended the stairs first. 

At the top of the stairs was an oaken double door that secured the headmistresses’ office. Filch knocked. There was some minor shuffling within the office, then a loud, high voice requested them to come in. 

The office was large and circular. The curtains were closed; they were a hideous red tartan that looked worse lit by multiple torches hanging on the walls. The back wall was covered with paintings of the old headmasters and mistresses of Hogwarts, all of which appeared to be asleep. A large portrait of the last headmaster of Hogwarts, Professor Albus Dumbledore, sat right behind the large wooden desk. Off to the side of Dumbledore was a smaller painting of Professor Severus Snape; although Snape had been promoted to headmaster just before the renowned Battle of Hogwarts in 1998, he had only been given a small painting as a tribute to his brave deeds, after Voldemort’s defeat. 

The office was full of items that Barrow had read about in “A History Of Magic: Revised” by Daphne Bagshot, who was the second cousin of none other than Bathilda Bagshot, the original author. Barrow could see the light of the pensieve on her right hand side; a large stone device for watching one's memories. The Sword of Gryffindor was hanging in a glass cabinet next to the portraits. This sword had been a big part of Voldemort’s downfall and after the battle it had gone missing, then was recovered by Foundables from the Ministry of Magic. She thought that after all it had been through it would perhaps be stored in the ministry itself, or maybe even a magical museum. But there it was, right there on the wall of her headteacher’s office. 

On a bookshelf to her left sat the old, dusty sorting hat. She had tried on this hat last year and it had pondered her for over a minute before shouting “Slytherin!” to the onlooking crowd. 

“And what - are you two - doing here?” she asked slowly, taking multiple pauses, surveying the tense Barrow and eager Filch.

The headmistress was sitting behind her wooden desk in green tartan pajamas that were clashing horribly with the curtains in the room, on her pajamas was a fresh toothpaste stain. Barrow felt incredibly uncomfortable knowing that she had interrupted the headmistress getting ready for bed.

“I found her in an unused classroom” wheezed Filch “on the third floor.”

“I see” said the headmistress, continuing to scrutinize Barrow “and why was she there?” 

“She was looking into a large mirror-” Flich paused, enjoying the judgemental gaze that the headmistress was giving Barrow. “In my opinion headmistress, she should be expelled for being out of bed at such a late time, what if she had gone to a floor that is out of bounds and-”

“Yes. Thank you Filch. You can go.” she interjected.

“But I-”

“You have done your job Mr Filch. I, the headmistress, will now do my job. Thank you.” she stared at Filch until he closed the oaken door behind him.

“Woodfig, Woodfig, Woodfig” she tutted as she searched through an extremely tiny drawer in the desk.

Barrow stood uncomfortably, tapping her feet on the persian rug below her. 

“Sit down, Woodfig” she instructed as she pulled a piece of rolled parchment out of the desk drawer. This appeared to be Barrow’s school records. 

Barrow watched her eyes scan down the parchment paper, her lips were pursed as she raised her head to look at Barrow.

“Hrmph- in the two years you have been here, it appears you have never been in trouble- not once.” She took the time to reread the parchment.

“So why, I ask you- were you out of bed at this time of night, knowing that it is not allowed?” 

Barrow’s gaze fell to the floor, she placed her hand over her robe pocket, the one that concealed her wand, scared that what she was about to say was going to cost her dearly.

“I wanted to…” she stopped, unsure what to say. There was no way Professor McGonagall was going to believe her.

“Look in The Mirror of Erised.” McGonagall finished.

“...The what?” 

“The Mirror of Erised. The mirror that shows your deepest desires. Being the well graded student that you are, I assume you read about it in “A History Of Magic: Revised” and wanted to go looking for it?” 

“I- What?” Barrow was dumbfounded. She had read the entire book but had never picked up on anything about a mirror that shows your deepest desires. She was also certain that Professor Binns, the history of magic teacher who died in the staff room and went back to teaching like nothing had happened, had never mentioned a mirror. 

She sat there, trying to understand what her deepest desire meant, surely McGonagall must be mistaken.

McGonagall allowed her to think for a minute and then spoke.

“Ah, I see. How did you find out about the mirror then?”

Barrow continued to stare at the floor, unable to stop the flow of thoughts and emotions that were tumbling through her brain. 

“S- Someone told me that the mirror on the third floor showed you something funny.”

“Something funny?” Mcgonagall frowned. “Well it’s not very funny is it.” 

This was not a question.

“A very funny prank for whoever told you, I’m sure! Who is it that told you this?” There was clear frustration in Professor McGonagall’s voice. Barrow shook her head. She was not going to be a sneak. 

Professor McGonagall was unsure how to reply. It was Barrow’s first time in trouble since arriving at Hogwarts… But, it was a serious break of the rules and she could tell that there was more to this story that Barrow was reluctant to talk about. 

They both sat in silence for at least a minute before someone broke the silence...

“May I have a word Minerva?” inquired a low, calm voice.

**Author's Note:**

> I have never published fanfiction before - this is a very small taster of a story I have wanted to write as a big potterhead and a transman who has been transitioning since I was 13 years old (I am now 23!)


End file.
